The Final Imprint
by Charlotte -LOVE
Summary: New girl Makayla has arrived. She's human. A pretty average looking human, in fact. She doesn't think any different from the others either. But it's her past that sets her out from the others, that makes her a lot less human than the others.
1. Preface Poem

**This was the first story I ever wrote, and yesterday I unearthed it and reread it. After I had finished, I decided that I was going to edit it so that it made sense, and also so that I could publish it here and you guys could read it without wanting to tear your eyes out. I should be pretty quick on the updates as all I am doing is editing.**

**~Charlotte -LOVE-  
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A White Rose

John Boyle O'Reilly  
_  
The red rose whispers of passion,  
And the white rose breathes of love;  
O the red rose is a falcon,  
And the white rose is a dove._

_But I send you a cream-white rosebud  
With a flush on its petal tips;  
For the love that is purest and sweetest  
Has a kiss of desire on the lips.  
_


	2. Chapter One

Chapter 1

Oh crap. Vampires. I moved to get away from them, and yet there they were. Sitting in the corner of the canteen staring away from everyone. Two of them – a bronze haired boy, and a brunette girl – had their heads titled towards one another as they chatted quietly.

As I watched, the bronze haired boy stiffened, and the brunette placed a hand on his shoulder, a look on confusion on her face. Another girl, with bronze curls, placed a hand over his in concern.

"Are you OK?" I turned to see one of my new classmates watching me with worry. I realised that I had been staring at the vampires in the corner and probably looked petrified.

"Oh…um…yeah. I just noticed them…" I nodded towards the vampires again and nervously fiddled with a strand of hair. _Maybe they didn't notice me. I'm just a normal girl, after all._

"Ah," The emotion on the boy's face lifted as he understood. "They give quite a first impression, don't they?" A slight smile pulled at the corners of his lips.

We had our food by this point, and we were walking towards a table already filled with school kids. I glanced over at the vampire's table. They all were staring at me with weird eyes. It was their eyes that captured my interest as the colours ranged from black (hungry vampire) to gold (that was the odd part, I was sure vampires had red eyes). One of the boys sitting at the table didn't appear to be a vampire as his skin was tanned and his eyes were a dark brown. Why was he sitting with the vampires? The human kid next to me interrupted my musings by tugging me down into a vacant chair.

"So who are they?" I asked him.

"That's Bella, Alice, Emmett and Renesmee Cullen," He pointed at them discreetly as he told me their names. "The blond twins are Jasper and Rosalie Hale, Edward Masen is the ginger-ish one. And the tanned boy is Jacob Black. They've all been adopted by Carlisle and Esme Cullen. Although some of them are cousins or something. I don't really know much about them, they keep to themselves. But I feel sorry for the parents, they must all be a handful."

"Oh." I didn't feel in the mood to reply to his length speech, not while a table full of vampires was across the room. I stared at my lunch, not feeling that hungry anymore. I wondered how soon I could fake an illness and be taken to the nurse and be sent home. I didn't feel like being a vampire lunch, which was what my last encounter with that species had lead to.

I felt the colour drain from my face and I drew in breath in short gulps, as I recalled the past…incidents. The girl opposite me, Arianna, noticed this.

"Hey, um, are you alright? You don't look very good…" Her voice trailed off as she stood up to help me.

The conversation ended as all eyes turned to look at me, "No, I feel ill. Is there a school nurse anywhere?"

"Here, I'll show you to her." Adrianna put her arms around my waist and shoulders while I rested my head on her shoulder and half-walked, half-crawled out of the canteen. I had to pass dangerously close to the table full of vampires, who stared at me with curious eyes, especially the bronze haired boy, Edward.

The nurses office was empty when we arrived, but Arianna sat me down in a chair and went to find the her for me. While she was gone, I contemplated my problems. Well, first there was the massive problem of the vampires showing up at my new school. I couldn't stay in a school with vampires. Even though my life was sometimes boring, I didn't want to die, and I seemed to have a magnetic field which meant all vampires in the area were attracted to me. That time in Italy– _stop right there. Do NOT go into that again._

What if they came looking for me? Terror made all my muscle clench and I was about to start hyperventilating, when a young nurse bustled in, with Arianna on her heels. She took one look at me then turned to Arianna.

"Thanks for looking after her, Philips, but I don't think you'll do much good here and with exams being so close you can't miss any class. Can you fetch one of the Cullens for me? To them, I doubt one missed lesson will be much worry. But I don't want to send her home alone." Arianna nodded at her, squeezed my shoulder and walked out. The nurse started taking my temperature and other stuff, but I was too scared to notice.

One of the Cullens? No, no, please, no! I don't _want _ to be eaten. Of all the people in the school, why a vampire? My luck, of course, it was just my luck.

"Well, that's that then. What's wrong, my dear? High temperature? Fever? Is there any medication you take?" She looked ay me kindly, but I was too frightened to do anything but nod and shake my head. Her smile turned into a frown. "Hmm…What's your name? I'll just check your file to make sure."

"M…Makayl-la Down," I stuttered.

The nurse walked over to a large filing cabinet and pulled out a drawer labelled A – F. She talked to herself as she flipped through the folders inside. "D. D-O. Downs…Makayla. Here we go!" She pulled out an almost-empty file and started looking through the few sheets. "Nope. It's probably just a bug or something, dear. Take some aspirin if you get a headache, but I'm afraid you're just going to have to sit this one through."

I dropped my gaze down to the paper covering on the bed and tried very hard not to throw up. I had no argument for staying at school in this state, however I did not want a lift back with a vampire. There was a warning knock at the door before it swung open to reveal a small, elfin girl with a halo of black hair around her head. Her eyes where a deep amber, verging on black. I tried to push back the sudden wave of nausea by swallowing hard.

"Alice! This is Makayla. She's not feeling to well, would you mind taking her home? I would usually call her parents, but they don't work in town and she lives too close for them to be called back."

"No! Of course I don't mind," she trilled in a high voice. "I can catch up on Spanish easily."

The nurse smiled. "Thank you, Alice. I don't know what I would do without your family. Let me just make a copy of her address for you." She picked up the piece of paper with all of my information on it and moved over to the photocopier.

I looked up from the bed to see Alice smile at me with curiosity in her golden eyes, "Nice to meet you Makayla."


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter 2

I just nodded at her, making no move to get up. Alice seemed to sigh ever so slightly, then slipped a cold hard arm around my waist. I cringed away from her touch. It was too familiar. I felt slightly light headed as the nurse bid us farewell, but I knew if I acted like I was too dizzy to stand, the vampire would touch me again.

We walked in complete silence. Alice didn't say anything, and she didn't look at me. I kept my eyes fixed on my feet. Concentrating, on first, not vomiting, and second, not drawing attention to myself. It was getting quite hard to not throw up and by the time we were in the car park it was all I was concerned with.

"Is she alright, Alice? She looks as if she might puke." It was too much for me to hear the velvet voice of a vampire. I couldn't help it. I turned away from the pairs of feet I could see and towards a nearby bush, which I was promptly sick into.

Once I was done, I stood up and looked at the surrounding vampires. They were all there, the whole coven, and the odd human boy. His hands trembled slightly as I inspected the girl with the bronze ringlets, she looked a bit more human, but I couldn't see how. Maybe it was her chocolate brown eyes. As I watched him more carefully, my adrenaline levels pulsed. He wasn't a vampire, but he was dangerous.

"It's OK, no one will hurt you," the one called Edward promised me. How could he know that I was thinking about that? Unless - a though occurred to me that seemed thoroughly plausible – unless he shared Aro's (pain at the memory shot through me like lightening) gift.

He smiled at me and nodded slightly, looking me in the eyes so I had no doubt that he was nodding at my thoughts. Oh CRAP! This was so bad… Not only vampires, but flipping mind reading vampires. Was there one that could see the future as well? Just to add to their coven.

Edward laughed this time and pointed at Alice. I froze. I meant that as a joke. And I don't want to know anything else. I just wanted to leave. I wanted to leave badly.

"No. We need to know how you know what we are."

No! I wouldn't – I couldn't – tell them. I won't even think it. They can't know, nobody can know.

The blond male, Jasper, spoke up, "Please, we just want to understand how. We don't need anything else."

His words scared me. I couldn't tell them, so what would they do to me when I kept quiet? Renesmee, the pretty bronze haired girl, looked annoyed. But when she spoke, her annoyance wasn't directed at me.

"Stop it! Can't you see your scaring her?" She stepped forward and put a hand on my shoulder. I automatically flinched as I prepared for cold skin, however Renesmee's hand was boiling. I placed my hand over hers to make sure I was feeling it right. And I was, Renesmee couldn't be a vampire. But she looked like one! Apart from the eyes.

And what was the boy's problem? He was shaking badly as he watched me and Renesmee. Renesmee followed my eye line.

"Jake, I'm fine. She's only a human, not exactly that dangerous. You don't need to get protective of me." She turned back to me, "Will you please tell us? It is for our own safety that we want to know."

"And we won't…" Edward began, but he was cut off when his cell rang. He took it out, then flipped it over. "Carlisle. Listen, we have a problem. What? Er…no, we've been at school, why are you there? Oh, why didn't Alice say anything? Hmm. We will be there as soon as possible. Oh, that, well…" he glanced at me, "I will explain at home."

Rosalie, the beautiful blond one, said, "We have to go back?"

Edward nodded, "Siobahn and Liam and Maggie have come for a visit. Some warning would have been appreciated," he turned to Alice, his eyebrows raised, and she shrugged, then his eyes flickered to me and he took a step towards me, "Please, come with us. We don't hunt people, that's why are eyes are odd. Can't you just come home with us and explain it to everyone?"

They don't hunt people? But they're _vampires_! He was lying to me. But then, I remember someone in Italy telling me about a large coven of vampires who only drank animal blood. Maybe it was them. Maybe I would be safe, for once…

What am I thinking? How am I even considering going to a vampires house? There is no way I will set foot in a house that belongs to a vampire. No way.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter 3

This was not the way I intended things to happen

I'm not sure how I am wound up in the back seat of Edward's silver Volvo, wedged between Renesmee and Alice. Bella was sitting in shotgun, staring at Edward as he drove. The others were in some red BMW behind us that looked like it cost a fortune. They're rich. Figures.

It was a long drive. Well, it might have only been five minutes, but to me, it seemed to take years. We drove through all sorts of countryside. It was England, so it wasn't sunny. Well that was obvious because the vamps were out. But the view out of the window changed from green fields, to forest with no warning. It certainly was different from the endless gold fields and hills of Italy.

It was also much colder. I thought that a change was what I wanted, but as I shivered and huddled deeper into my coat, I wished for the warm sun of Italy. Edward read my mind – I still wasn't comfortable with this, I wondered idly if there was any way he could tune me out – and he reached over to turn the heating on higher for me. My eyebrows rose. A vampire who was kind to a human? That was odd.

Then all my random thoughts left me as we turned onto a small driveway that lead to modern house. It was pretty, with large windows that over looked the surrounding woods. But it was the home of vampires, and now I was here, I had to explain how I knew about them, and my past was not something I liked revisiting. The others got out of the car as soon as it had stopped except Renesmee who stayed to help me out. Her boiling hand felt good on mine, but I still withdrew my hand quickly. It was bad if a vampire (or whatever Renesmee was) felt comfortable to me.

Jacob came up next to Renesmee muttering under his breath about "stupid bloodsucking vampires dropping in…" This made me confused. Did Jacob not like vampires? This coven was odd and yet I found them fascinating. And that couldn't be good.

Edward chuckled under his breath, and whispered something to Bella, who looked over to me and smiled. As if she was laughing at me. Probably on what I had thought. Oh great, now I had the strange vampires _laughing_ at me. Just what I needed at a time like this.

Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper walked straight up to the house without glancing at me and walked though the door. The rest followed, and Renesmee took my arm and gently led me into the house.

"It'll be OK. Nobody will dare hurt you." Renesmee was comforting me how nice of her. She steered my up the steps and into a large room. Full of vampires. Each one staring at me. Yay.


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter 4

"Makayla, welcome to our home," said an adult vampire with blond hair. "I'm Carlisle, and this is Esme, my wife." Ah, this must have been who Edward was talking on the phone to. Esme drifted forwards and smiled at me, she looked like a perfect match for Carlisle, they just fit together. Behind Esme and Carlisle were three other vampires, each with red eyes. So there are real vampires in England. Carlisle noticed my preoccupation.

"Makayla, this is Siobahn, Liam – her mate – and that's Maggie." Each one nodded at me, Maggie accompanied that nod with a smile. "They won't hurt you, or any other human around here."

Was I supposed to say it now? Or should I wait? Couldn't someone say something? Edward stepped forward. OK, I must admit that mind reading thing is pretty handy.

"I've explained to them already, well Jasper did. You can tell us as soon as your ready," he murmured to me.

As soon as I was ready? Hell, I'd never be ready. Jacob wandered in from another room with a packet of crisps in his hand. Before the door swung shut, I caught a few bars of a current song I had listened to in Italy a lot. While I gathered my thoughts, my mouth moved silently a long to the words.

Apparently I wasn't as discrete as I thought because Bella asked, "You know this song?"

"Yeah, when I lived in Italy, I listened to English stuff. I didn't like the Italian pop music." I looked down when I mentioned Italy.

"You lived in Italy?" Carlisle asked.

The room went silent as the vampires made the connections. Italy, vampires, Volterra, Volturi. Anything beginning with a 'V' is deadly.

"Volterra," I whispered, confirming their conclusions. The room went completely still. Even Jacob stopped in mid chew, his mouth hanging open unattractively. Quite an unappealing sight as I could see half chewed crisps. I fought a grin.

"Oh," Carlisle said. "And you met the Volturi there, didn't you?"

I nodded, "They said I was useful to them. But I never knew why. And then, one day, I found that I was no longer useful. They were going to kill me, and I couldn't stay and let it happen to me. I heard them talking once, they didn't think that I could hear because I was a human. They were discussing how much time they had before it was my 'expiry date. So I ran away. I could speak English, and England was the closest place, so here I am. I don't know if they're coming to find me, but they haven't yet. I move around a lot."

Edward sighed, he could see all the flashes that came up in my mind as I remembered how it was _more _than just usefulness that with one of the Volturi. But I couldn't mention him right now, it was too painful.

All of the vampires turned to the front door, as if they were expecting someone. Probably they could hear them approaching. Then another human entered. He looked a lot like Jacob, expect smaller, like a younger version of him. But it was more than that, his expression just made him look so sweet, and kind. He looked at Jacob and then at all the vampires, not noticing me as Emmett's bulk hid me.

"Aw, what did I miss guys? Leah is still out with Embry and Quil, by the way Jake."

Jacob swallowed the half chewed crisps then said, "Thanks Seth. And it's just that, we er…have an unexpected visitor." Seth's eyes travelled to Maggie and the others. "Not them, behind Emmett, she knows about vampires, and stuff. We needed to know how, so we invited her over."

I stepped out from behind Emmett and looked at Seth properly. But what I was not prepared for was the emotion in his eyes. He looked like he'd never seen a human before, like I was the first person he'd ever seen. What?


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter 5

Seth's Point of View

I knew when I entered the room that I had missed something. Everyone was wearing shocked expressions, but I couldn't see anything out of order.

"Aw, what did I miss guys?" I remembered that Leah had asked me to pass on something. "Leah is still out with Embry and Quil by the way Jake."

Jacob swallowed the food that he was eating and said, "Thanks Seth. And it's just that, we er…have an unexpected visitor," I looked around curiously. The Irish coven was over, but I had heard Carlisle on the phone, but they didn't seem that unexpected. I hoped everyone was alright. "Not them, behind Emmett, she knows about vampires and stuff. We needed to know how, so we invited her over."

I peered around Emmett as a girl stepped out from behind him.

She had wavy brown hair – almost the exact same shade as Bella's – and beautiful, deep brown eyes. Her skin was tanned and her human scent filled the room. She watched me with fear in her eyes, as if she was worried that I was about to leap at her and rip her throat out. Like I would do that to _her_.

Because she was perfect. She was everything I had ever wanted in one small, fragile human body. I could live without everyone that I had loved previously, just to be with her. She was my life now.

And I didn't even know her name.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter 6

Makayla's Point of View

Seth was staring at me, it was silent, but all the vampires had wide eyes, and Edward looked dazed. Jasper was seemed slightly overwhelmed.

"Seth?" Jacob moved closer, and touched his arm. Seth didn't look away from my face. "Seth, you have to explain to her what's going on. She has no idea."

Seth stepped forward and held out his hand to shake. I took it, scared of the temperature. He was as hot as Renesmee's. Which proved my theory about them not being human. But if they were surrounded by vampires, I supposed that they would know.

"Hello, I'm Seth, and…" He looked at Jacob with panic stricken eyes, "Jake, help, how do I…tell her?"

I looked confused, but I hated the panic in his eyes and I stepped closer to him and laid my hand on his arm, "Tell me what? Are you OK?"

Something about him drew me in, made me want to get closer to him. Seth stared down at my clearly wishing he knew what to say, but every time he tried to say something, it would get stuck in his throat. Even with the panic there, there was a strong emotion that eclipsed nearly every other emotion his eyes showed. It looked like love, but how could love me? He didn't know who I was.

Jacob sighed, "Seth, this is Makayla. Makayla, there's something different about me and Seth. But, we're not dangerous, well not as dangerous as the vampires. Now please, don't freak out, or run away. Just give us a chance to explain."

I nodded and said, " I will, I have met a lot of things. When I…I lived in Italy." My curiosity was strong. Especially about why Seth was looking at me as if I was the first snow fall he had ever seen.

Jacob took a breath, "Seth and I, and a few others out there, are werewolves. Well shapeshifters."

This was not what I had been expecting. My hand fell of Seth's arms and I took a step back. And then I realised that I was standing in a room with vampires who were staring calmly at me, who weren't dangerous to me now, and Jacob had said that they weren't as dangerous as vampires. And my curiosity was winning. I wanted to know about them. And I wanted to know about Seth. So I stepped forward again.

I hadn't realised that the whole room were holding their breath to see my reaction, but when I stepped back, they all relaxed and the happiness in Seth's eyes made me know that I had made the right decision. Seth should be happy.

"Go on," I told Seth. I wanted Seth to tell me. I'm not sure why.

Seth reached down and caught one of my hands and held it in his. Then he looked at me, our fingers entwined.

"We live in America, we're just over here for a vacation. There's this Indian Reservation called La Push in Washington. And, there is this genetic quirk in our tribe that means when vampires come onto our land, we transform into wolves to protect the tribe." He looked at me to checked if he was freaking me out. I kept my face calm.

"And, what is with the…you know…" I held up our hands, that were still together, "Why do you seem as if you are in love with me?"

"Well," Seth said, "Wolves, we do this thing. Called Imprinting. It's how we find out, well, our mates. Our soul mates." My mouth hung open, but Seth was staring at our hands, "When we _see _our true love, we know. We just know that they're who we're going to love"

I blinked. And then blinked again. And then resisted the very strong urge to pinch myself.

"I'm sorry?" I asked. Did I hear that right? Hell! He knew me for how long? Under ten minutes, and now we were supposed to be in fricking love?! Holy crap, no one wants to make my life easy, do they?

Seth bit his lip. "We… We fall in love. Really deeply."

Sure, Seth was lovely. I couldn't find one fault in him. He was kind, caring, cute, and he had this glint in his eye that just made me like him. He was one of those guys that I could easily be friends with, and probably date after getting to know him. But love? I wasn't so sure about that.

For some reason, the vampires dispersed, leaving Seth and I sort of alone. I knew that they would still be listening, but their attempt at privacy was quite a nice gesture.

"Am I supposed to, I don't know. Like, imprint on you too?" _Please say no, please say no_, otherwise this conversation would turn awkward really quickly. Even more awkward than it was already.

Seth shook his head. "No! No! You aren't meant to be feeling anything towards me. This is hard to explain. It's love. But it's not falling _in_ love. It can be, if that's how you want it to be, but it can just be brotherly love or just friendship. It's all up to you."

That did make it slightly easier, but I still wasn't sold on this Imprinting business.

I wrinkled my nose as I tried to decide how to respond. "I don't know… Can we just be friends for now? Like, getting to know each other and stuff. It's hard to now what to think when I've only just met you!"

"Of course we can. We can do anything you want."

Seth smiled at me. Imprinting was creepy, but I liked Seth – out of all the guys I knew (which was a limited list) I would have liked him to imprint on me the most. I squeezed his hand in mine, and grinned back.


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter 7

Makayla's Point of View

I was seated on the sofa now, Seth had his large arm draped around my shoulder. I had also been given a large plate of steaming food. I was eating while trying to talk to Seth, but not giving him a view of chewed omelette.

All the vampires had disappeared. Some had gone hunting and the rest, I had no idea. They were probably upstairs or something.

As soon as Seth and I had stopped with the very serious conversation, Esme had flitted into the kitchen to make some food for me, Alice had had took my hand and lead me to a couch. Seth, of course, had followed me and sat down next. The other vamps just kind of drifted away. Bella looked ecstatic at the imprint thing and had hugged Seth several times before being pulled away by Edward. Esme had floated back to me with the food, and then gone hunting with her mate, and that was how we ended up.

I found out that Seth was a lovely person. He didn't say that, of course, but the stories he told about everyone were just so nice and happy that it shone through. He told me all about La Push and America – as I had never been – and I told him all about the nice parts of Italy. He started telling me about his family, his Mom and his sister, Leah. Apparently his Dad had died from a heart attack. I told him that I never knew my Mum, and that my father had raised me until he too, died of a heart attack. Since then I lived on the streets. Seth looked anxious about this until I assured him that I only lived there for a few years before I was given a home, and nothing bad happened to me. And then we started talking about history. A lot had happened in Seth's life, from his first phase to quite a recent battle with my previous family. So I told him all about my life with the Volturi, leaving out a few details that would probably trouble him.

"How did you meet them?" he asked once I had finished my rendition of how annoying Heidi was.

I half smiled as I recounted that story, "Well, I was day dreaming and just walking along, I wasn't looking where I was going, and the next thing I knew, I was falling down an open drain hole. I ended up in this really cold, dark tunnel place. I couldn't get back up through the hole I had fallen down, So I just kept walking, and then I got to this hallway with an elevator at the end, and a small really pretty person standing at the end. It was Jane and she did the er…thing, that she does." I close my eyes and shuddered, that was a pain I would never forget. "And then she asked me what I was doing down there, so I told her what had happened, and, for some reason which I never figured out, she took me to Aro. Who decided to keep me."

Seth rubbed my arms, in a friendly way. I shuddered again as I remembered Jane. Me and her did _not_ get on. I spent most days trying my hardest to avoid her and her equally evil twin brother.

As Seth moved his arm away, he nudged me. I automatically steadied the food so it didn't overflow all over my lap. It was omelette. And it tasted _good_, as I hadn't eaten anything at school I suspected that anything would taste nice to me.

"Isn't the school going to think it's weird if the vampires don't go back to school?"

Seth snorted. "No. They skip all the time – they still get straight As, so I don't think that anyone really cares whether or not they attend."

Jake wandered in from the kitchen and smiled at us before heading out.

He turned on his heel in the doorway and said, "I'm going to phase, so expect Leah to come running as soon as she sees."

I watch him with curiosity as he jogged down the steep bank and into a dense covering of trees. I sighed, I'd been hoping to see what happens when they changed.

"What did he mean by that?"

Seth frowned. "It's something that's hard to explain-"

"-_Everything_ is hard to explain," I moaned.

He laughed – a warm yet gentle sound – and continued as if I hadn't interrupted. "When we're in wolf form, we sort of hear each others thoughts. It's like what Edward does, except everyone can hear everyone. So, when we phase, everyone can see what just happened."

"And Leah's going to come?"

"She'll want to see who I've imprinted on." He paused and then said carefully, "A word of warning, though. My sister is very protective. She's really nice once you get to know her, and I wouldn't want any other sister. But, you just have to give her a chance."

"Of course I will."

He cocked and ear to the side, as if listening, then bit his lip, staring at the door in worry. "Leah's coming."

I put my hand over his, it feeling perfectly natural now. "It'll be fine."

I hoped I would like her. But if she was related to Seth, there was no doubt about that. I would like anyone who had one gene that was also Seth's. I smiled at him, then looked around to the back of the house, where the door was.

It burst open and a very pretty girl with russet skin, like Seth and Jacob, and short black hair entered. The look on her face was judging, but it also looked angry. She was wearing a par of ragged shorts and a torn shirt. She glared at me and I revised my first opinion of being best buddies with her. I think I would be happy with just not being killed by her. I'm not sure I would get that though.


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter 8

Leah's Point of View

I was in the middle of an argument with Embry about the good points of having a shower instead of running through a stream. I claimed that it was more normal for a wolf to bathe in a rover rather than go into a house of bloodsuckers just to take a shower. He said he preferred to be hygienic and not go for a bath with fishes and whatever else lived in a stream. Idiot.

We both heard when Jacob phase, but we were too busy debating to pay much attention. I felt a bit guilty that we had ignored Seth until he got bored and phased back, but I had to win the argument.

_Guys? Hello? _Jacob thought._ I have something to tell you._

I could sense that Embry was close to admitting defeat, so he faked more interest in what Jake had to say than he actually had.

_So, at school today, there was a new girl, who new about vampires, and everything. _

_Booring,_ I thought.

_Leah just listen, you will find it more interesting in a second. Anyway, she came over and was telling us all about how she knew. It was because she lived in Volterra and met the Volturi…poor girl. _

_Still boring Jake,_ I told him.

_Shut up Leah, I wanna listen,_ Embry shot at me.

_Well just because you have the attention span of a pea…_I trailed off seeing no need to continue with that insult.

_LEAH, EMBRY, shut it. Leah, don't get mad, or go in and shout or anything like that, OK?_

_Cut the crap Jacob, what is it?_

_Well, Seth came in, and he…_ Jacob showed us the rest. The imprinting.

Seth imprinted? On a girl who came from the Volturi? No. No way, she was bad for him. He was not getting put in any danger by that pathetic girl. I was going to sort it out.

_Leah, No. You can't ruin it for him. NO_. Jake growled and I could sense the amount he wanted to use his alpha's abilities, but he wouldn't. I started running back. I was faster than all of them, they couldn't catch me.

Just outside the house I phased. I pulled on my dirty clothes. Wishing for the time before I had to deal with all this werewolf crap. When me and Sam were happy. Pain shot through me when I thought of Sam again. I wanted to imprint so badly, now I was the only one who hadn't, apart from Embry, but Embry was happy with his family.

I turned my glare on Makayla. She was tanned, with brown hair and innocent blue eyes. But her mouth was too large for her to pretty and her forehead was too small. I didn't like her at all. But then I saw how happy Seth looked. I felt bad instantly for hating that girl. How could she be bad if she made my brother feel like that?

I hadn't realised that I was taking a step towards her. But my guilt made my falter and wobble. I regained my balance and tried to look a little nicer and more welcoming.

I tried to make my expression smoother, so she wouldn't be afraid or upset by me. It was hard as I still didn't really like her. I wasn't sure why though.

Seth looked at me and in his brown eyes, so free of troubles and pain, was love and pleading. He didn't want me to hurt her by being mean. I sighed and walked towards her and held my hand out.

"Hi Makayla, I'm Leah. Seth's sister." Makayla took my hand we shook hands gently. To me it felt ridiculous, however waving would have felt worse and there was no way I was going to hug like we were friends.

Makayla smiled slightly, "Hi Leah."

There was an awkward silence after that, but an angry Jacob interrupted it. He glared at me, then came to my side and whispered, "Leah, I need to speak to you outside. Now."

"Bye." I said to Makayla, then walked out without a second glance. I turned to shut the door and I saw Seth hugging Makayla, who looked upset. Renesmee – who had been frozen on the stairs during our exchange – flitted down to comfort her as well.

Me and Jake walked silently, until we were out of hearing from the leeches and Seth. Then he rounded on me.

"Leah! He's your brother! He hates is when you disagree, and then you just go in and tell the girl he JUST IMPRINTED with that she's not good enough! What were you thinking? Do you know how much that will hurt him? Some sister you are!"

"Jake, I didn't say ANYTHING to that girl expect hello! Is that now a crime? Calm down!"

"Oh yeah Leah, I bet you just _said_ hello, but what did your eyes say? I bet they were telling a different story!"

I had no words to that. I bit my lip and looked down. He was right, I had been so mean back there.

"What should I do Jacob? I can't go back and start again, can't I give it a bit longer? Just until I sort out why I don't like her, and all my other problems."

Jacob glared at me, but then he nodded, "Do that, but you have to make it up to her. For Seth."

"I will."

It started raining, but I didn't really notice, Embry would be happy that I was having a shower.. I kept walking in to the forest in my human form. I didn't want Embry talking to me – or worse, Quil. I found a log to sit down on, and I sat considering my problems until the rain had me soaked through.


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter 9

Makayla's point of View

Renesmee sat on one side, with Seth on the other.

"What did I do wrong?" I asked them.

Seth sighed, and Renesmee said, "Makayla, you didn't do anything wrong. Leah is just quick to judge. She is nice, you just need to give her time."

"It's OK, she'll come round. It's just she feels protective of me, seeing as I'm her little brother. She'll come round." Seth was trying to reassure me, however it sounded like he was trying to reassure himself. I didn't like it when Seth looked so panicked.

"It's OK," I told him, "If you say she was just being protective then that's it. I don't mind."

I smile to tell him that I meant it, and he smiled back at me. It was so perfect, it felt unreal. Just this morning I was terrified about being found by the Volturi and killed or being eaten by the vampires sitting in the school canteen. And now I was sitting next to my imprint while he – and a half-vampire – comforted me. How strange my life was.

A few more vampires wandered down the stairs. Namely Alice, pulling Jasper and Bella while Edward followed behind, his golden eyes tight with some emotion that I couldn't place. Renesmee look at them and then at me.

"You going to be okay?" she asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, I have Seth." I felt him beam next to me. "I'll be good. You go."

She hugged me one more time and then gracefully leapt to her feet like a ballerina and shot after the others.

I put the leftover omelette on the table and pulled my feet up under me. I was content to sit there just looking at Seth. He seemed happy like that too. We watched each other for a while, until Seth reached out and pulled me close to him. I lay back against him warm chest, enclosed in his arms, and shut my eyes. Soon, I was slipping into the best sleep I had ever had.

*

When I woke up, it had stopped raining. None of the vamps were back, Seth was snoozing, resting his head on my head. But when I wriggled a bit, trying to get more comfortable, he woke up.

"Hey, are you awake?" he asked me, his voice still thick with sleep.

"Yeah," I stretched and yawned. "I needed that sleep."

"Mmm," he agreed. He shook his head, like a dog trying to shake away sleep. And then froze. I was about to ask him what was wrong, but then a dripping Leah walked in through the doors. I hadn't even noticed that it was raining, neither had Leah by the looks of it.

"Hey, can I talk to you? It's about earlier," she asked.

"Sure," I said in shock.

Leah hesitated, he beautiful face looked troubled. She glanced at Seth who was looking apprehensive, "It's OK Seth. I'm not going to shout or anything. I want to apologise, about being so horrible when I barely knew you."

Seth relaxed visibly, then mouthed the word thanks at her. Leah walked over to the couch opposite us with her nose curled up in distaste, as if something smelt bad.

"I'm sorry, I seemed so angry at you before…It's just that, Seth is the only family I have got left, well, in this country. My mom is still in America, but I was just worried that you weren't best for him. Which makes no sense because he imprinted on you. But I was just being an overprotective older sister. And I'm sorry for that."

Seth looked at me, it was my reaction that mattered, "It's OK Leah. I don't mind. I think I would do the same if I had a younger brother."

Leah smiled at me, and got up, walked towards me and hugged me. This was more natural, unlike the hand-shake earlier. We fit together as a family. Leah would be as close to me as a sister would be. But I was still worried about where I would live.

I didn't have a home the constant moving around that I did meant that I only stayed in places for a week or two. I usually booked into a hotel, unless there was a really cheap flat going, but that was rare. I wondered where Seth and Leah lived. If you looked at Leah, it looks like she lives outside. Her clothes were old and worn and dirt matted her hair. Seth on the other hand was clean and presentable. They must live separately. Maybe Leah camped…Or slept outside like a wolf.

Leah sat down beside me. The heat of their close bodies was making me uncomfortably hot, but I ignored it. I was watching Leah with a mixture of shock and amusement.

Her dirty clothes were hissing. As they were wet and Leah was boiling hot, her clothes were issuing steam. Leah was just sitting on the couch, but billows of warm steam were erupting from her body. It was absolutely hilarious to watch. Both Seth and Leah were staring at the steamy room in surprise and then back to me. I was having hysterics, even though Leah's clothes were now dry and she wasn't steaming anymore. I leant back into Seth and rested my head on his broad chest. He wrapped his arms around me and laughed along with me. Leah's expression was bemused, but it morphed in a grin. It wasn't a I've-been-forced-into-this smile, it was a happy smile. A smile of friendship.


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter 10

Seth's Point of View

When Bella, Jake and Renesmee arrived, the mist in the room was gone. Makayla was asleep in my arms, and Lead was sleeping, curled up at the edge of the couch.

"Hey Seth," Renesmee whispered.

"Hey Nessie. How was hunting? Did you win?" I asked, grinning at her. Nessie was such a little ray of sunshine. But she couldn't compare to the perfection in my arms.

"Yeah, you should have _seen _the size of the bear I took down. It was huge. Jake only managed to catch a deer." She laughed quietly, but slipped an arm around Jake's waist. She has known since she was a baby about the imprint, but only recently had she realised that she loved him back, romantically. Before he was just her best friend.

"I won last time though, don't you remember that _I _took down the bear last time, and you only caught a _baby_ deer. At least my defeat wasn't as embarrassing."

I shook my head slightly, Jake and Nessie were so childish together. It was so sweet to watch. Jacob sank into the love seat and then pulled Nessie down onto his lap. She screeched and I quickly shushed her, pointing to Makayla and Leah. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Seeing as you haven't spoken about your catch, I guess that you didn't even manage to catch a baby deer," I said to her. She giggled and flitted over to me to mess up my hair.

"For _your _information, I helped Nessie being down her catch." She grinned evilly at Nessie who snarled under her breath.

"You so did not, Mom!" Nessie snarled. Bella just laughed and sat down again. It went comfortably quiet. Then Jake spoke to me.

"How was Leah? I told her to be nice, but I was still worried that she would really upset Makayla."

I shook my head, remembering how they seemed to like each other after the first time, "You should have seen them Jake. They looked like sisters, once Leah had gotten over her embarrassment. She looked so happy for once." I smiled at the peaceful face of my older sister. She really should imprint, she deserves happiness.

The other three were staring at me in disbelief. But then Bella shrugged her shoulders and asked, "Where's Edward? Has he come back?"

Nobody bothered to answer because Edward, Alice and Jasper came running in.

Bella jumped to her feet when she saw the look on Edward's face, Jacob tried to hide Renesmee as if something was coming for her. I jerked out of my seat and positioned myself in front of the now awake Makayla. Leah woke up because of all the movement and shifted into a crouch, ready to phase if necessary.

"Edward what is it? What's coming?" Bella asked frantically.

"Like last time," Alice answered instead. "The Volturi."

"Wait," Jake exploded, "WHY are they coming? Who for."

Alice, Jasper and Edward's eyes flickered to Makayla's face.

"M…me?" She stuttered, fear crossing her face.

No, please no Makayla, any one else, but not Makayla. Please no. I stared at Edward, who was ever gazing back at me. _Please Edward, tell me you're joking. Just tell me they aren't coming for her. Please._

"I'm sorry Seth. I can't." He said to me. I turned around and looked into my love's eyes. She was staring back at me, fear filled her eyes.

I knelt down and held ever face in my hands, "Don't worry, we'll keep you safe. All of us." Then she leant forwards as kissed me so sweetly I thought I would explode.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter 11

Makayla's Point of View

Why when I was happy did my life fall to pieces? It seemed almost inevitable. I had been happy for about an hour or two. And now there was a possibility that I would die.

Carlisle had arrived with the Irish Coven, who even though they were friends, had bid goodbye very quick and left so fast I wasn't even sure they were ever there. Emmett kept up a string of profanities after they left, until Rosalie told him to shut it because he wasn't helping.

Alice said that they were coming in about a month. A month? Why a month, Italy was so close to England… Then Bella had told me the reason they were taking so long was because they needed witnesses, and for the Volturi, a week was a very short amount of time. There was no way they could get and army together in a week, according to Jake.

During the battle planning, which I wasn't involved in, because I had no clue what to do, Leah was explaining to me about the last time the Volturi had come to them – because Renesmee could have been a threat. I had already heard the story from Seth, but Leah wasn't afraid of leaving the gory parts in for me.

"They never got over the fact that you lost. They aren't the type of people who would, from what I've gleaned of them. And now you've come. It's the perfect excuse for the Volturi to act. And no one can say that the Volturi were wrong to kill the whole coven because they were protecting a human. We have to fight this on our own."

We were silent for a while later, just watching the vampires doing everything possible to protect me. There was a moment of terror when Alice froze, and then snarled under her breath. Apparently the Volturi had decided to book an earlier plane – the Volturi take _planes_? – and were going to arrive a whole two weeks earlier.

"Leah," I whispered, "Why is everyone doing this for me? I have only known them for a few days! I mean, it's not as if they care deeply for me?"

Leah shook her head at me, "Kayla, the pack and this coven are so linked together that they're family. They love each other a lot, it's quite sickening to watch if you're me and don't give a damn about the leeches. But Seth imprinted on you, and that means that everyone here will fight for you. Because they protect family," she made a face, "They are all very sweet and familyish. It makes me want to puke sometimes."

I almost laughed at this. I could see how someone could dislike Leah, she did have a very harsh view on things. But she was my family now, so I loved her like a sister. I still wasn't so sure about the vamps, or leeches, as Leah refers to them.

After a few hours. Seth came and sat next to me. It was amazing how tired he looked. It hadn't been that long and yet he looked as if he hadn't slept in years.

"You look tired," I noted as I stroked the shadows under his eyes.

"It's hopeless," he said, catching my hand and holding it to his face, "Nobody will come and help." He looked so sad and upset about this, I scrambled onto his lap and hugged myself to him.

"It's OK Seth. We'll figure something out. I won't let anything happen to myself. I wouldn't hurt you in a million years, so they won't touch me. I promise." My voice grew stronger and louder as I said this.

The vampires went silent and seemed to listen to what we were saying, Seth smiled at me, "I love you Makayla. More than my life."

"I know Seth, and I love you too. I don't want anything to happen to you."

The vampires looked at each other and they seemed to suddenly be with each other. Bella held Edward's hand and he kissed her forehead, Jasper and Alice just stared into each others eyes, Carlisle and Esme embraced, Rosalie and Emmett kissed passionately and Nessie and Jacob just stood their grinning at each other.

I saw Leah huddled at the end of the couch. Her arms were wrapped around herself, and I could see a tear gleaming on her russet skin. I wished I could say something to her, but I sensed that she wouldn't take any sympathy. There must be someone out there for Leah, someone who would make her happy.

**

After a week, we still had no one would come and help. Jake was trying to get the other's wolves to come. But one day he came in a punched a hole in the door.

Nessie flew to him and restrained him, "Jake, what is it?"

"Sam can't come. Neither can the others."

Carlisle came down, "Why?"

Jacob groaned, "They can't get a flight soon enough. They're going to _try_ of course, but they won't make it. Not with the Volturi putting the deadline forward almost every day."

It was odd, before I met everyone, I barely ever blushed, but now I do it all the time. Edward told me that Bella's personality must be rubbing off on me. I had heard the whole Edward and Bella story. It was so entertaining that I said they should write books about it. They laughed, but not at me, with me.

Alice and I had instantly bonded through clothes. Alice had the most wonderful fashion sense ever, and even though there was a chance she would die when the Volturi came, she still played with my hair at every moment and dressed me several new times a day. She told me that when Bella was a human she was no fun and never ever let Alice dress her up and threw a fit when she went shopping for her.

My housing problem was sorted out though. The Cullens barely ever let me out of their sight. I lived in their mansion. Amazed at the amount of spare bedrooms, they said they kept it for the wolves if they ever came.

I spent most of the time with Seth, however. Sometimes he had to scout with the pack, to check for any changes, and I hated these times. I felt actual pain when he went away from me, and the only thing that could make me better was his return. When we together, he told me more about himself, his life before he changed, after he changed, about his mom, pre-school friends up to high school friends. He seemed to have hundreds of friends, which didn't surprise me. With his on going optimistic view on life and his constantly kind and happy nature, he would get on with anyone. Even his grumpy sister.

Me and Leah just got closer and closer as the weeks went on. She told me all the stories without worrying about scaring me, unlike Seth – the Cullens, who were always watching us, were always telling us how much we were like Bella and Edward when she was human. Bella said that it hadn't changed when she became a vampire, that Edward still never told her anything. Edward laughed at that, and Bella melted.

It was odd, sometimes when I saw one of the Cullens when they weren't babysitting me, their expressions were lined with anxiety, but it all disappeared when they came near me. Seth was trying to persuade me that is was the aura of happiness that I carried with me. I disagreed, saying that they were just trying to not show how much trouble we were in. Seth grew quiet when I said this, but then he brightened saying, we're doing what we can and that I shouldn't worry about it.

But as the deadline drew nearer, and we still had no one the Cullens couldn't keep up their happy faces. They looked hopeless. I couldn't believe that I was killing them all. I felt like a murder.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter 12

Makayla's Point of View

I began to go on short walks with Leah. She understood what I meant and she told me exactly what she thought. I just began asking her random questions, to take my mind of it, when we go onto the topic of phasing.

"Leah, can I see you phase?"

She stopped and looked at me cautiously, "Why?"

"I'm not sure. It's just that I've imprinted of a werewolf, and I still don't really know anything about how you work!" I said in frustration. It had been bugging me for ages.

"I'm not sure that good be a good idea," Leah said to me.

"Why? I mean, I'll see sometime!"

Leah considered her words before she spoke them, "I just thought that you would want to see Seth phase first.

I shook my head. "We don't really do stuff like that. We just talk. Please Leah?" I gave her my puppy dog eyes for full effect.

"If you really want, I suppose nothing could really go wrong. Just don't tell Seth."

I yelped in happiness and hugged her.

She hugged me back and when we pulled away she smiled at me and said, "I'm really glad I met you Makayla, it's been so nice. Like we're family."

I grinned at her then nodded. She stepped back a couple of steps, as I watched in fascination. Her hands started trembling and her whole shape seemed to shimmer, and then a pain exploded in my body.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter 12

Makayla's Point of View

I began to go on short walks with Leah. She understood what I meant and she told me exactly what she thought. I just began asking her random questions, to take my mind of it, when we go onto the topic of phasing.

"Leah, can I see you phase?"

She stopped and looked at me cautiously, "Why?"

"I'm not sure. It's just that I've imprinted of a werewolf, and I still don't really know anything about how you work!" I said in frustration. It had been bugging me for ages.

"I'm not sure that good be a good idea," Leah said to me.

"Why? I mean, I'll see sometime!"

Leah considered her words before she spoke them, "I just thought that you would want to see Seth phase first.

I shook my head. "We don't really do stuff like that. We just talk. Please Leah?" I gave her my puppy dog eyes for full effect.

"If you really want, I suppose nothing could really go wrong. Just don't tell Seth."

I yelped in happiness and hugged her.

She hugged me back and when we pulled away she smiled at me and said, "I'm really glad I met you Makayla, it's been so nice. Like we're family."

I grinned at her then nodded. She stepped back a couple of steps, as I watched in fascination. Her hands started trembling and her whole shape seemed to shimmer, and then a pain exploded in my body.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter 14

Makayla's Point of View

After the initial shock of the pain had gone, I could hear Leah yelling at me, her voice was quiet, but I could hear the tears in it.

"Kayla talk to me! Say something! Anything! Makayla, no. Don't do this to me, to Seth! You promised you would never hurt him, this will kill him!"

Seth. The name shot bolts of agony through my body. I was hurting him so badly, but how could I not? There was nothing that I could do to stop the numbing blackness that was spreading from my fingertips. I couldn't keep my attention focused on the words that Leah was yelling in my hear. Slowly, they faded to a background hum.

The numbness that the blackness brought was inviting me in. But a pain filled howl of agony, so close to my head, woke me up a little. I didn't have the energy to say anything or even to lift my eyelids. But I did have enough to think the words, to shout the words in my mind. I just hoped that Edward was there, to tell Seth.

_Seth. I love you more than anything and I'm sorry. You are perfect and I love you._

And with that final thoughts resonating in my head, I sank into the blackness from which I did not wake up.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter 15

Seth's Point of View

I was joking around with Edward and Bella. Kayla was with Leah, so I had no reason to worry. Leah felt almost as protective of Makayla as she was of me.

When Embry ran up, his eyes were full of pain. Had something happened to one of them?

"Embry? Embry what is it?" I asked him. He shook is great head.

I heard Edward gasp in pain, I looked at him. "He wants you to phase Seth. I'm so sorry."

Makayla. Something had happened to her. I didn't even need Edward's words, because at that moment, something tore my heart away. I exploded out of my human form, and saw what Embry and Edward had already seen.

My Makayla. No, please, oh no, please, please no. I denied with all my might, however I knew she was gone. My heart hurt so much. Too much. But I had to see her. I sprinted to the place that Embry had come from. From which I could hear Leah's frantic calls for help.

I threw back my head and howled in pain as I ran. This pain was too much, much too much. I couldn't live with out her. The patch of woods where they were became clear and I saw her still body with my own eyes. I howled more loudly that before. More loudly than I ever had howled before.

The pain. The agony. I couldn't handle it. I felt as if every bone in my body was being shattered, again and again and again. As if someone had my head in a vice and kept tightening it until is going to explode. It was pure agony. Stars blurred my vision as the pain grew.

They annoyed me. _Go away! _I shouted at them. How could I look at her, see her face if these stars blocked my eyesight. Please, I have to see her! She might still be alive, inside her head. She might be able to hear me. She might…

The stars seemed to understand my desperate need and they receded, to my relief. She was there, in front of me, she was there. But it didn't help my pain. Even though cuts made her ugly to every other person in the world, to me she was still perfect. She was still the most beautiful person in the world. And she was being taken away from me. Her forehead was creased, as if she was using all her energy on something. Was she still alive? Could she hear me? But as I opened my jaws to howl again, the hope that she might hear me was crushed. He face smoothed out. The tranquillity of death.

It wasn't tranquillity for me. It was mind-breaking agony for me. How? Look at Jake and Nessie, Quil and Claire, they had been together for so long. I had only known Makayla for a month. Why? Why did I have to bear the pain of losing Kayla? I couldn't bear it, it was too much.

And then there was Leah, lying naked, unconscious on the ground. She never experienced love like the rest of us had. She had always been alone. I had been so happy for a little while and Leah might never be happy. Fresh, painful guilt seasoned the pain.

I could feel the others phase to try and share my pain.

_I'm so sorry Seth. You never ever deserved something like this, _Jake told me.

But Jake had Nessie, Jake was happy and would always be happy. Nessie would live forever, and so would Jake. Jake would never let anything happen to Renesmee. Not like I had done with Kayla.

How? Why? Why had I let her go off on her own? Especially with the Volturi coming. I was so stupid. I don't want them to come. What if Alec numbs my pain? It shouldn't be numbed. Jacob was wrong, I did deserve this, because it's all my fault.

My life is over! This is it, there is no reason for this life anymore. No reason for anything. What is there to live for? Nothing mattered expect her and I let her die! I might also have killed my sister! No, I shouldn't live, I should never have been born. There was no reason in the world that made up for what I had done. There was nothing that made it make sense. Nothing would ever make sense to me anymore.

"Seth?" I flung my head around to see Edward there, his eyes only filled with an echo of my pain, "Seth, before she went…before she went she wanted you to know something."

I paid more attention, she had thought something as she died. I moaned softly, I needed him to tell me now, I needed to know her last words.

"Seth. I love you more than anything and I'm sorry. You are perfect and I love you." His voice imitated Kayla's to perfection, except it was missing the life and spirit that was there in every word she ever spoke. That was in every smile, every touch, every kiss.

This was too much. My howls filled the air, the vampires and my pack – the people who once mattered to me – looked at me, each of their faces lined with grief. The packs thought's were full of shared emotions, that only made all of mine stronger, grief for me, my grief, their pain and my pain. They suffered along with me, trying to take away my pain.

_You're perfect and I love you._ The thought echoed in my mind, sending white hot sears of pain through my mind. So strong that my pack joined in my howls.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter 16

Leah's Point of View

We were back in La Push. When Mom saw Seth she went into panic, he didn't look good, he still doesn't look good. He's at my Mom's and Charlie's place. Staying in Bella's old room. He is practically in a coma. Dr. Cullen doesn't want to move him and both my parents are so worried about him.

When I came round on the day that no one thinks or talks about, Seth was still howling. I didn't have the strength to call on the anger to phase. Instead I crawled over to Seth and put an arm around his large shoulder. He didn't seem to notice me.

We stayed like that for a long time. About four days or so. But eventually, Seth's howls dimmed to sobs. The vampires had stayed ringed around us like statues, all of their heads had been bowed in grief. They never once moved. It made me like them more, enough to think of them as 'vampires' instead of 'leeches'. Carlisle, Edward and Jasper left at one point, to sort out the matter of the Volturi. But when Aro read Edward's mind, he had no excuse to kill us, so he had to leave. Defeated again. I barely noticed.

What made us move eventually, was thirst. Even though we were shocked with the death of Makayla, our bodies still functioned normally, and we had to go and get something to drink. Seth didn't move, his massive form hunched in on itself, shivering with sobs. I brought him a bowl of water and a plate of food. He didn't touch it for a long time, but after some days, he had to eat.

We managed to get him to phase back, and after that, it was a simple matter of Carlisle drugging him into sleep and flying back. But not before I buried Makayla. Alice gave me Makayla's favourite dress, it was flowing, with a tight waist but then a large ruffled skirt. She looked like a princess, lying in her coffin, the clothing fanning out around her. Even with her cuts.

Back in La Push, I was living a ghost life. I was living in my old home, on my own. I was totally useless, wracked with guilt for what I had done to Makayla and Seth. But, I knew it would get better. One day, it would get better.


	18. Epilogue

Seventy Years Later

I was on my death bed. But I was content. I had my husband, Daniel, holding my hand. He smiled at me through his tears. It was cancer that I had, but I had led a good life. I had had a happy life.

After I got my nursing degrees at university, I met Daniel working as a surgeon. We were happy together and enjoyed each other's company. I did not have to hide me secret of phasing, because I had given up long ago. And I knew when I lost the ability, because my period came back. That was one of the best days in my life, when I realised I could have a child.

Seth got no better. He was the one thing that made my life bad. Eventually, Dr. Cullen realised that it would be kindest to turn of the machines. We all agreed. Even Seth, he spoke to us, when we asked him. He said, "I can finally be with my Kayla. It will be the best thing you can do for me." We buried him in England, next to Makayla. He would happiest there.

I hope he went to Makayla. That they could live together after death. Because it is what I wanted to happen. I often thought that they were together, because they often visited my dreams, holding hands and laughing. In my dreams, we were all happy.

I went to her grave every year in England, and placed a red and white rose on it. The red was from Seth, and the white, from me. On Seth's grave, I left a letter, explaining what had happened to me in that year. It was the kind of thing I thought he might want to know.

After I married Daniel, I had my beloved son, Seth. He was an identical version of his uncle, and he led a happier life. My other baby, a girl, was called Kayla. After she was born I was content. Makayla and Seth had been the best parts of my life. And I had two miniature versions.

So, even as I died, I was happy. With Kayla, Seth and Daniel around me, how could I not be?

Doctor Cullen came along with a syringe and smiled at me, "Here you go Leah."

"Thank you, Carlisle." I looked out the window and saw the rest of the Cullens and my old pack watching me. They would bury me in England, next to the grave of Makayla and Seth. And every year, my children would place a white rose on my grave, and my husband would place a red.

I looked at the faces of my family as I died. My little boy Seth, he wasn't so little anymore though. He was thirty, but he had stayed with me all the time as my health deteriorated. His hair was long and dark brown almost black. It fell in silky waves down his back. He looked so much like my brother, it made my heart ache.

Kayla, she looked nothing like her aunt. She had taken all my looks, her sleek black hair swung down to her hips. Her face was beautiful and exotic. She hadn't got my personality though, both of my children had taken Daniel's. It made them perfect. I squeezed their hands – both of them were clutching onto my hand tightly.

I smiled reassuringly at them. They smiled back at me, through their tears. Daniel also squeezed my hand. I closed my eyes and smiled and Carlisle pressed the syringe into my arm and I smiled as the drug slowly took effect. It was pleasant like falling asleep.

"I love you, Leah." It sound like Daniel.

It was mixed in with my children's voices saying, "I love you, Mom. I love you so much."

I died happy. I had loved and been well loved in return. I had lead a good life, and I would join Seth and Makayla.

Seth was the last one to imprint in our generation's pack. And Makayla the last too, the Final Imprint.


End file.
